


How to Save the World while Staying in School

by Supersaiyanhero



Category: DCU (Comics), Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Angst and Fluff, F/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Relationship(s), it’s another earth, minor canon relationships, witty humor
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-25
Updated: 2019-01-04
Packaged: 2019-06-15 23:26:15
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 7
Words: 13,134
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15423963
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Supersaiyanhero/pseuds/Supersaiyanhero
Summary: Cheryl Danvers has as normal a life as you can get for the daughter of two heroes. This doesn't stop her form going behind their backs to save people.  After tragedy strikes, she must deal with the trauma as well as find her place as a hero.





	1. Daily Routine

**Author's Note:**

> I own nothing save my oc’s. All characters are the dc writers and arrowverse showrunners.

Beep Beep Beep.  
Cheryl groaned as the alarm went off. She hated having to get up early. However, it was Monday, so she’d have to deal with it. How humans even lived with this noise was beyond her.  
“Cheryl Eliza Matthews, you’re gonna be late for school!” Cheryl heard her mom yell from downstairs.

“No worries. I’m up,” Cheryl sigh yelled at her mom, stepping into the steaming hot shower. Cheryl was not a fan of school. It wasn’t so much the classes but was the fact that she couldn’t have lots of friends. She was Cheryl Zor-El, AKA the heroine Matrix. Considering the time period she was living in, her alter ego was not exactly something she could share. There was also the problem that nobody could know her parents were superheroes, specifically, her mom was Supergirl and her dad was Valor. In many other planets or Earths she could show off her alter ego, but this was not the case of National City on earth 38. As she came downstairs, she could see her mom rushing to get ready for work. Her dad wasn’t there, as he was in the future helping Uncle Winn, but that was a whole different tale, soon to be addressed. 

(Oh, come on. It’s not like you’ve ever addressed a close family friend with no blood relation by Aunt or Uncle. Like a fictional character once said, Family doesn’t end with blood.)

Secretly, Cheryl found it super cute whenever her parents did cute cliché couple things. It was still gag-worthy, since they were her parents, but she still adored the romance of it.  
She quickly got her breakfast and sat down to eat. Her mom, who was a reporter and journalist by day, was putting together some sources for an article she was starting. It was all immensely hush hush, but it had to do with a new project Morgan Edge had been working on. It was a fracking project that her mom was protesting via articles. She reached for the papers, but her mom put them in her purse before Cheryl could see what any of them said. 

(Slimy piece of work, that Morgan Edge. A wretched corporate that tried to buy Catco, hired a terrorist to destroy the waterfront for his own gain, nearly drowned my mom after a missile exploded near her, attempted to frame my godmother out of spite by poisoning a bunch of kids, and nearly murdered my godmother because he thought she tried to murder him. What an A-Ranking asshole. My godmother is Lena Luthor, for those unaware.)  
“Good try Cheryl, but you’re not getting any info about that. Also, Alex and J’onn won’t say anything, so don’t try them,” Cheryl groaned at her mom’s scolding, an argument already formed word for word in her head.

“I wanna help you and dad with this. If I have powers, shouldn’t I use them?” Cheryl could tell that her mom was in a bind, since her mom knew just how much Cheryl could help.  
“Yes, but you’re young and unready. This world is not safe for you yet. Now finish up, you need to catch the bus.” Cheryl got her backpack, beanie, and glasses, angry at her mom for giving her the ‘you’re too young’ excuse. There was no way she would rely on just the glasses. Seriously how did aunt Lena not figure out her mom was Supergirl? As she was about to leave, her mom hugged her. “I’m glad you want to help. I Love you Cheryl.” 

(hydraulic fracturing: a process in which fractures in rocks below the earth's surface are opened and widened by injecting chemicals and liquids at high pressure: used specially to extract natural gas or oil, as mentioned by Dictionary.com. Referred to as Fracking for short.)  
“Love you too Mom.”  
****  
As Cheryl was riding towards school, she thought about what the year would bring. It would probably be very boring, by her daxtonian standards. Seriously, when her mom and aunt Alex were her age, they busted the corrupt sheriff of Midvale.  
(That was cool. Grandma Eliza tells me that story sometimes when I go there. It’s fun seeing her. Even if I still see Nana Alura.)  
When she got off the bus, she was engulfed in a hug by 4 people. “Hey Cher!”  
“Hey Lian, Conner, Tim and good ol’ Raquel.” These guys were her 4 best friends. Lian was the daughter of Roy Harper and Thea Queen from Earth-1. Cheryl remembered Thea explaining they moved here because Roy was legally dead back on Earth-1. They quickly became friends with her parents. Conner was the son of Dinah Laurel Lance and Oliver Queen. These two had known each other since diapers. Him and Lian considered themselves cousins. Cheryl liked him, but it wasn’t a crush at all. Nope. Not one bit.

(Before all you shippers go nuts, reminder; I live on a different earth. Some parts of the history don’t match up. On this earth, Oliver wasn’t a cheating playboy. Still a wild child, but not a cheater. The earth-38 Oliver and laurel have been happily together since before the island. He knew Felicity, but she didn’t join him. And yes, Laurel is alive and happy with a revived Tommy Merlyn in Hub City. At least, that’s what I know.)

Tim Drake is a ward of Bruce Wayne, AKA, Batman. Cheryl had known him not as long, but it was still a strong bond. Raquel Ervin is the ward and partner of Augustus Freeman IV, an alien who posed as a cooperate lawyer. Cheryl had met her when she came to the bar with him. Since they were the only kids there, a friendship was bound to occur.  
(My posse of superhero partners. Yes, we’re all undercover heroes going to high school. How cliché.  
1\. Lian Harper, Overwatch 2.0  
2\. Conner Queen, red arrow  
3\. Tim Drake, Red Robin  
4\. Raquel Ervin, Rocket  
5\. And me Cheryl Zor-el, Matrix)

Cheryl and the others walked into their first class just as the bell rang. The five took their seats in the middle of the classroom. The teacher came into the class. “Welcome, I’m-” Cheryl couldn’t believe who she was seeing. It was Ruby Arias, the daughter of Sam Arias, AKA Reign and her former babysitter. “I’ll be your English teacher this year.” She then jumped into a lecture about the class rules and Cheryl took that as a notion to zone out. 

At the end of the period, everyone left. The rest of the day was uneventful until lunch. In the middle of lunch, while the five were all socializing, the projector screen in the lunchroom lit up and a broadcast began playing, all the student’s attention being diverted there. 

“In special news, Morgan Edge’s fracking project has been shut down due to claims of misconduct to employees and damage to outside properties. There has been no comment from Edge now, but investigators are going to the site.”  
Cheryl smiled. Her mom, using Supergirl and some insiders, had been trying to get this project demolished for months. Looks like the files she saw her mom sorting this morning had come in handy after all. 

“Seems like your mom has a pretty cool job.” Lian commented, and Cheryl smirked. She was a proud daughter, to say the least. 

“Oh, her and Edge go way back. He’s been a thorn in her side since he hired a terrorist to destroy waterfront properties, so he could buy it on the cheap.” Cheryl said in a disgusted tone, and Raquel gasped, having not heard this story before.  
“We’re planning on investigating that site, aren’t we?” Cheryl bit her lip and smiled at how well the Queen boy knew her, willing her cheeks to keep from turning a rosy red. 

“Yep,” Was all Cheryl offered, meeting every single one of her friend’s eyes to make sure they were all in. There was no way they could let that go. 

(What? Those guys are gonna miss all the important weird stuff. Only we can find that.)

After school, Cheryl went to the DEO to for a sparring session. Aunt Alex had wanted her trained in how to fight in case she couldn’t use her powers. Aunt Sara had also done this, but nobody needed to know that. Cheryl entered the sparring room, observing the equipment and tall ceilings. Today there were dummies and a firearm. “I’m gonna teach you how to shoot. It might come in handy.” Aunt Alex said, always being the one in the family who got right down to business.  
“Alright.” Cheryl picked up the firearm and fired away.  
****  
Cheryl headed to the Bar first after the hard training session she went through with her Aunt. There was always info about what was going on at that dive. Plus, this job was great for cash. She didn’t bartend-sorry-mix alcoholic molecules, but she cleaned tables and sorted supplies as well as do dishes. 

As she was sweeping up after a brawl, she saw a news report about the heroes kicking butt in Star City. Cheryl loved watching the heroes in action, specifically Black Canary. She had deeply admired the hero ever since she was a kid. When learning the truth, Dinah told her that she could be a hero in the light. Also, that she might want something better than glasses. 

(Hey Beanies and a devil-may-care attitude can mask a lot.)

By the end of her easy shift, she had coaxed a map of the fracking site from a patron and sent it to Lian to spread to the whole group. The patron was dazed and didn’t realize that giving such info away was a crime, as she had heard him confessing to harassing some of the female workers.

(I don’t think he’ll be boss again.)

After her shift was over, she left and changed into her matrix outfit. It was a black Leotard with short sleeves and a black cape. She wore black gloves and Black boots. It worked well with her hair and eyes. There was a red S on the front, but it wasn’t in the shape of El family crest. 

(The less people who can connect me to the supers, the better. Don’t want the parental catching on, assuming it isn’t a secret test of character.)

She arrived at the fracking site ahead of the others. Raquel flew in with her kinetic-energy manipulating belt, while the other two rode in on motorcycles. Meanwhile, Lian was on comms in her bedroom, as she always was. They always offered for her to come and watch from a car, but Lian never took it. Something about safe spaces. 

(She deeply admires her aunt Felicity and isn’t a fan of fieldwork. I wouldn’t underestimate her though.)

The group started to look over what Edge could have been fracking for. He was not interested in alien tech like Lilian Luthor or mystical artifacts, like Selena and her crazy followers. Cheryl had heard that her dad had almost died saving her mom and if her and Sam hadn’t brought water back….

(well you can figure out the rest.) 

She eventually came across a small device used to measure depth in the earth. As she used her X-Ray Vison, she discovered a Lexcorp logo on the side. Great. This is gonna hurt Aunt Lena for sure. 

“Matrix.” It was Tim. “I found something, looks like a hatch.” Cheryl pulled it open and went inside. This must’ve been part of the fracking. As the 2 crept along, Cheryl froze. She saw Kryptonian writing as well as small disks. She put the disk into a small spot near the symbols, thinking that was the only spot the disk could fit. The two watched as a security guard tried to get a message out before being destroyed by a monster. The Carnage was immense. As they turned around, a roar was overheard. \

“Guys, The Military’s coming, get out.” Lian shouted over the comms, and Cheryl grabbed Tim, the two flying out into the Night Sky with the disks and a rubbing of the Symbols. Hopefully Nana Alura could translate it. Once the group was a safe distance away, they watched as an Armed Convoy approached the site cautiously. Suddenly a hand emerged from the ground as a figure leaped out. It began tearing through the convoy as a solider called for backup and some heroes. Using her speed, Cheryl got as many of them to safety as she could. 

(I may not be as fast as Uncle Barry, But it’s still useful.) 

As the convoy was defeated, the monster leapt away. “Aw man, It’s like some freaking Doomsday Sign.” Overwatch 2.0?” Tim asked, and Cheryl could hear her friend breathing hard. ‘

“It’s headed for Metropolis.” Cheryl grimaced at Lian’s answer, looking down at her costume and knowing what she needed to do, though that didn’t make it much easier. 

“I’ll tell Supergirl about it. She’ll inform Superman.” Cheryl sighed to her friends, and they all gave her apologetic looks, knowing she hated getting busted by her mom for jumping into hero work she wasn’t supposed to know about.  
****  
At the DEO, Cheryl made to Nana Alura’s Hologram. Uncle Winn and Uncle Brainy had programmed the Hologram to activate whenever Nana Alura was around. Cheryl plugged in the codes, then waited. Her Grandmother’s form soon emerged. “Hello sweetie.” Cheryl smiled. She was so lucky her mom had discovered Argo City all those years ago.  
“Hey Nana. I sent you some disks and a rubbing of what looked like Kryptonian Symbols. Could you look at them and call me back?” Nana Alura paused, raising an eyebrow in questioning. Cheryl just gave her a small smile.

“Of course,” Nana Alura finally said, before the hologram blipped out.

“Thanks Nana.” Cheryl said to the nothingness.


	2. Answers and Arguments

After sending the Info collected at the site to Nana Alura, Cheryl had quietly gone home only to discover her parents waiting, and it did not seem like the surprise birthday party type of waiting.

(Well shit. You folks probably know what’s coming.) 

“Dad! When did you and Uncle Winn get back?” Cheryl asked, hugging him. Cheryl was often told that she looked like her dad, with her black hair and stronger build, but she had her mom’s comet eyes, as her dad loved referring to her and her mom as his ‘comet eyed ladies.’  
“A few hours ago, but that is not why we’re waiting for you. You see, I get home, excited to see my ladies and suddenly hear about a black blur that saved some soldiers from a monster. Mind explaining that?” Her dad’s tone turned cold and lecturing, skipping all the excited jumping he normally did after being gone a while.

“I wanted to see what was there. Looked like some ferocious experiment gone wrong. I was gonna call Supergirl to warn Superman, as it’s heading for Metropolis,” Cheryl protested. She hated when her parents doubted her ability to be a hero because she was ‘too young.’

“So, you were there, against my direct instructions?! I told you Cheryl, this stuff is dangerous, and you’re not ready,” Her mom stated angrily. She looked scared and concerned for her cousin, and angry at her daughter for going behind their backs. “You need to know your limits! It’s going to get you killed,” Her mom yelled. 

“Well, maybe If you two accepted I had powers and a moral compass, I wouldn’t feel the need to rebel. You’re always like this. You push me to be a hero, yet you restrict me with excuses. You bagged on Dad to use his powers wisely then made him feel bad when he didn’t. And, to top it off, you went behind Aunt Lena’s back, having James breaking into her lab to see if she had kryptonite. No wonder everyone accuses you of being so arrogant. You shut down others that could potentially dim your spotlight!” Cheryl realized she went to far as soon as the words left her mouth. She could see her dad slack-jawed and her mom trying so desperately not to cry.

(You know those moments in fiction when the kids make some good points but then they say something bad and the other people are horrified by what they said? Yeah, not one of my better moments.)

****  
The next morning was a blur. Cheryl and her family went through their normal routine, but it was clear last night’s argument had shaken them greatly. She remembered her dad telling her about an argument they’d had when he first came to earth. It was shortly before CADMUS had kidnapped him and the seeds of their relationship were sown. He had accused of her of loving the attention and being selfish. Later Rhea had stated the same thing when she was “aiding” Aunt Lena in building the Trans-mat portal. Her mom did have issues with stuff like this. Still she probably shouldn’t have yelled at her. 

“Hey Mom,” Cheryl called nervously. Her mom turned and looked at her as she was walking to the door. “I love you,” Cheryl said softly.

“I love you too,” her mom replied. 

(In case y’all are wondering why I call my grandmother by her name, let me remind you that she tried to kill my mom, murdered her own husband, threatened a hospital full of children, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg)

School was also a blur, though she was still able to get all the info needed. Her friends didn’t comment on anything as they were used to her quiet demeanor after a big fight. Cheryl was grateful her friends knew her so well. Conner even slipped her a Hershey’s kiss to show support. It was something they’d been doing for years. She hoped it’d be an actual kiss soon. When school was over, she went to the DEO to see if Nana Alura had gotten any info on the disc and symbols she sent her. She went to the room and punched in the passcodes. Nana Alura’s form appeared in front of her. 

“Hey Nana, did you get the Info I asked you for?” Cheryl asked. She wanted to get the information to Lian as soon as possible.  
“Yes I did, but it’s not pretty,” Nana Alura said in a warning tone. “This was an experiment done by an ancient scientist named Bertron. He came to Krypton before we became a civilization. Cir-el, he’s older then the worldkiller religion. Cheryl knew if Nana Alura used her Kryptonian name it must be serious. 

“And the symbols?” Cheryl said nervously.

“There notes on progress and testing. Apparently, this monster cannot die the same way twice. It has DNA from multiple creatures. The disks you found were after this experiment was discovered centuries later. This footage is from before Krypton exploded. It looks like multiple breakouts and imprisoning’s.” Cheryl winced at the info dump. This was even more dangerous than she had imagined. “I sent all of this to you. Warn Kara and Kal about this. It’s need to know.” Cheryl sighed wearily at the idea of telling this to her mom.

“Look, I know you two are fighting right now, but this is important,” Nana Alura said gently. “Besides, it was easier to send it to her separately.”   
That shocked Cheryl. “You told her everything!?” she said in a horrified tone. “I didn’t reveal you as the source, but I warned her and told her to tell Kal.” Cheryl was silently processing this just as she heard a voice.

~Alex, did Cheryl come here today? Crap, it was her mom. “No, I haven’t seen her,” Aunt Alex replied.~

“Guess that’s my cue to leave. Thanks Nana,” Cheryl said gratefully. “My pleasure,” Nana Alura replied before the hologram flickered out.   
****  
Cheryl arrived at the Harper residence half an hour after leaving the DEO. For as long as she could remember, Lian had been her best friend. The two first met in preschool when Roy and Thea officially moved to Earth-38 with a 3-year-old Lian Moira Harper. Aunt Lena and Grandpa J’onn had helped them get identities and move into a nice house. Thea had opened a club called Verdant, like the one she managed on earth-1, while Roy was a security consultant for Queen Consolidated. About a year later, the girls met in preschool and the rest was history. Cheryl loved spending time with her friend, as it was one of the few times she could truly be herself. 

Cheryl knocked on the door twice when Thea came out. Cheryl deeply admired the couple for their perseverance and inner strength. Despite everything life had thrown at Thea & Roy, they were able to move past the pain while acknowledging it was there. “Hey Aunt Thea, is Lian here?” Cheryl asked. When she was younger, Cheryl had accidentally called her ‘Aunt Thea’ after she spent a day with her at the fair. Luckily, Thea didn’t mind.

“Cher!” Cheryl saw Lian run down and hug her. “Come on. Let’s head to my room,” Lian said, beckoning Cheryl away from Thea.

It was always interesting to see Lian’s room. On the wall to the right it was a picture collection of her earth-1 family. Cheryl had been to earth-1 occasionally, but most of her visits were to Central City to see Uncle Barry, Aunt Iris, and the Twins. She liked Oliver’s earth-1 counterpart, but he was so different then the jokey, devil-may-care version she knew and loved. She was also fine with Felicity, but she adored the earth-1 version of her Aunt Laurel and even helped bring her back so she could enjoy her life as an auntie and sister to Aunt Sara. 

(She thought that Aunt Sara and Aunt Alex sleeping together was hilarious, as did I.)

“So how are you, after that whole argument?” Lian said, breaking the ice. Cheryl was quiet for a moment. 

“It’s hard, you know. I just wish they would trust me. I’m a hero with her own posse, tech support and all. I just wish they could see that,” Chery said wistfully. Lian simply listened and nodded along. The others joked that Lian was the mom of their group, but never to her face.

“Hey, can you be a teenage girl who’s only concern is make-up and boys and homework?” Lian asked. Cheryl smiled and twirled her short black hair. 

“Okay,” she said playfully. 

“Tim kissed me,” Lian said, grinning like a loon.

“What?! When!? Tell me,” Cheryl demanded excitedly.  
“Yay, you can be a teenage girl,” Lian joked. “After you left, Tim came and showed me footage he collected from the containment unit so I could run a bio-scan on the area and trace the monster. I was freaking out, naturally of this thing, so he kissed me. It was amazing,” Lian summarized, a dreamy look on her face.

Cheryl smiled, happy for her friend. Lian deserved a guy who wasn’t intimidated by her smarts and bubbly nature. She just wished someone out there was for her. Having super strength was a bit of a problem for romantic relationships if that person was a mere human. Cheryl remembered Uncle Clark telling her about how difficult it was for him and Aunt Lois to have a baby, as Grandma Eliza informed her that a human womb was too fragile for Kryptonian sperm. Thankfully, Aunt Imra lent them a birthing Matrix from the future, and now she has an eleven-year-old cousin. 

(Hey, once the truth came out, they hit it off. I guess you and your ex can be friends. As for Aunt Imra, she’s now with her deceased first love, Garth Ranzz. Turns out, he was the “sister” she lost to the blight. Well, him and his actual sister Alya.)

“You wish Conner would do the same, wouldn’t you?” Lian said, snapping Cheryl out of her thoughts.

“Um no, why would you think that? He just a friend; no crush there,” Cheryl babbled nervously.

“Oh please, everyone knows you like him. Mia teases him constantly about it,” Lian stated matter-of-factly. Cheryl chuckled at this comment. Mia loved to tease her big brother about his relationships.

“Ok, fine. Yes, I like Conner, but there’s no way he’s gonna like me back. I mean, look at me,” Cheryl said, gesturing to her body and her face. “Besides, I’m a daxtonian with powers, he’s a human with a bow and arrow and a sonic cry. I don’t wanna break his nose kissing him, and yes my mom did that four times,” Cheryl said, cutting off Lian’s question. 

“Cher, that’s for Conner to decide, not you. My mom told me how my Uncle Ollie tried to push Aunt Felicity, but she wouldn’t let him. Don’t make that same mistake, ok?” Lian said gently. Cheryl smiled slightly at her friend’s encouragement.

“Thanks Mom,” Cheryl said cheekily. Lian laughed then tensed as an update appeared on her computer. “What is it?” Cheryl asked worriedly as Lian started typing.   
“Look at this,” Lian said. Cheryl watched as The Monster, now fully free, tore through a dozen heroes. The Creature then jumped away leaving everyone badly injured.  
“He tore through those guys like they were nothing,” Cheryl whispered, horrified. 

“We finally have a name for this thing. Look,” Lian said while typing. Cheryl watched as Uncle Clark arrived in his uniform. He was quickly checking over the heroes when one of them mumbled, “It’s like Doomsday has come,” before passing out.

Cheryl looked horrified. If this thing was as powerful as Nana Alura implied, He was going to need backup. “I’m heading out. Don’t wait up,” Cheryl ordered to Lian as she flew away.


	3. A Hero falls

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: angst. comments and feedback appreciated

Cheryl flew as fast as she could. She needed to warn Aunt Lois and Jonathan and evacuate civilians out of Metropolis. Hopefully this shell of what was once a man, Doomsday, hadn’t reached Metropolis yet, but Cheryl found that unlikely. Reaching the suburbs of the city, Cheryl flew until she heard something.

~ _Growling noises, explosions, vehicles getting flipped, machine gun fire, people shouting~_

(Yeah yeah, superhearing. Great for saving people, not so great when it’s night in the Danvers household.)

Cheryl landed near the noise and saw Doomsday, in the semi-flesh, slaughtering a convoy roadblocking the bridge. Exhaling a breath, Cheryl flew towards the surviving soldiers, hoping she could save the one’s who were already on the ground. She grabbed injured soldiers and flew them a few blocks down, just free of the carnage, setting them on the ground.

“Get on the radio and warn your superiors and the city to order an evacuation of the area. Any who can still run, spread the word with any footage you have,” Cheryl ordered. To prove her seriousness, she caught a thrown missile and hurtled it back, proving her superiority.

“You heard the girl!” The commander ordered. Cheryl nodded at the commander, entrusting him, and then launched off the ground, flying back to the bridge to face the monstrosity. He looked the part of a monster, with his grey skin covering his too-large-to-be-human skeleton, blood-red eyes, and spikes that protruded out from his hands, back, and face. To top it all off, his hair was white, like what a corpse’s hair color would be.

“So, you’re the one that tore the heroes. Can’t say I’m intimidated. Those were c-listers,” Cheryl mocked with false bravado, maintaining her voice at a steady rate and pitch. The more bruised his ego, the more distracted he would be. That’s the way those lab-experiment beasts always were. Er, not like she’d ever fought any, but she’d heard stories.

(Those guys were indeed c-listers. Also quaking in my boots. This thing’s freaky looking. I mean, the spikes!)

Doomsday roared, charging at her, and she knew her jab had the effect. Cheryl also knew she couldn’t win, but she hoped it would be enough time for an evacuation and maybe another hero coming to help her. Hopefully Aunt Lois got the message and she and Jonathan were aiding in fleeing citizens while Superman went looking for backup.

 Cheryl dodged a sudden attack from Doomsday, causing him to stumble.  Snarling, the monster charged with his fists out. Cheryl barely dodged the punch, his spikes scratching her face. “Shit,” Cheryl mumbled, alarmed by the fact that the spikes pierced her skin, her hand flying up to her cheek and coming back red. She responded by throwing a tank that had been forgotten by the military at Doomsday, sending him stumbling back a few feet.

“You know, I thought you were stronger than this, but clearly this is just daily exercise for me,” Cheryl mocked. Hopefully this kept Doomsday’s attention on her so he wouldn’t go looking to attack those who couldn’t fight back.

(Fair warning, if you’re not a fan of blood, this might be a bit much, just fyi.)

It worked. Doomsday leapt and landed near her. Cheryl moved so he didn’t land on her, but the shockwaves pushed her back, and she barely landed on her feet, stumbling. She used her heat vision to push Doomsday back, quickly destroying the piece of bridge he was on. She used her cape to keep Doomsday contained as he fell into the water, unable to pierce the material. Cheryl then flew back to the spot she’d dropped the soldiers to double check on them.  

“The downtown area still has some people, but most everyone else has fled. Those damn planet reporters are still there, along with others, but that’s it.  Plus Superman is on his way,” the commander stated when a blue & red figure flew towards Metropolis, followed by a similar uniform and a blue cape. Cheryl could see it was Uncle Clark and her parents, and she was relieved she wouldn’t have to keep fighting Doomsday alone.

“Aunt Lois, this is serious, can’t you listen to me for once and get rid of your dumb reporters-” Cheryl’s grumblings were cut off when she heard growling then a massive force of water surging up. She pivoted on her heel, cringing her eyes.

Sighing, Cheryl flew up and knocked the Doomsday down flat. She then punched Doomsday backwards as hard as she could, her knuckles bleeding from the impact. Cheryl braced for Doomsday’s attack, her adrenaline beginning to wear off and her apparent wounds becoming more irritating.

She felt the Doomsday fist connect and was launched backwards, her back slamming against the concrete.  Cheryl felt dazed from the blow, but she got back and flew at Doomsday again with her uninjured fist. This time, Doomsday caught her fist and crushed it, a very unholy noise resulting. She cried out in pain as he flung her away, skidding against the bridge on her side this time.

Getting back up, Cheryl anticipated this was the last attack she could manage and she flew at his torso with her legs ready to kick at him. Unfortunately, Doomsday kneed her, causing her to tumble several yards backwards, her body aching to severely for her to stand. She saw Doomsday leaping away as she lay there. “Sorry Uncle Clark,” She murmured before everything went black.

****

“Cuz, Cuz, Cuz!!!” A voice cried, and Cheryl slowly and painfully fluttered her eyelids, light coming at her in all directions.

Cheryl winced, her head pounding. Her first thought was: _had she been drinking?,_ before everything came back to her. She sat up quickly, much to her head and chest’s annoyance, feeling a stab of pain along her spine. Looking around she spotted a young boy wearing a shirt and pants with a cape. The superman logo was on the shirt. Cheryl realized who the kid was as her mind cleared up.

“Jonathan!? What the hell are doing here!?”  Cheryl asked, confused. What had happened? She remembered that Doomsday was leaping away after her beatdown, but it had been nap time after that.

“This random monster landed in the city and went on a rampage. My dad’s fighting him right now, but he flew to National City to get your parents first. This thing can hurt him,” Jonathan explained fearfully. Cheryl immediately stood up, but then felt shaky.

“Did that monster beat you up?” Jonathan asked nervously, though Cheryl could see he knew the answer.

“No I’m fine,” Cheryl lied to assure her cousin, though she was probably just assuring herself.

(Truth? My body aches, no concussion, some bruised, and cuts on my body.  And that’s just the stuff on the outside. No physiological damage, but I’m not in any shape to fight this thing)

“We still have to help people. Can you still fly?” Jonathan asked.

“Probably?” Cheryl gave out, half-confidently. He seemed to hesitate, but after she took off she saw him following her towards where all the ruckus was coming from.

****

The two cousins flew as fast as they could. When they reached this new fight, it was a horrific sight. There were small fires on the sidewalks, cars were overturned, and there were holes everywhere. As they were assessing the damage, a blue figure crashed near them. It took Cheryl a second before she realized it was Superman. He had bruises on his face and some scratches but was otherwise unharmed. A van arrived with the _Daily Planet_ logo on it. Aunt Lois and her cameraman, James Olson, popped out, concern written all over their faces. Well, that’s what Cheryl assumed, considering James was wearing his Guardian outfit, since he had an alter ego as well. However, their faces soon morphed to anger when they saw Cheryl and Jonathan there.

(Oh, come on, what is this, lecture Cheryl week!?  Ugh. -Low-key humming Adults/kids song from The Simpsons-)

“What are you two doing here!? This is a warzone! Jonathan Samuel Kent, you are grounded,” Aunt Lois yelled. Jonathan flinched at his mother. Cheryl was also slightly nervous. There were few things that scared her more than Aunt Lois angry.  

“Clark!” Aunt Lois went over and helped him up. James kept lookout to make sure nobody was there. Cheryl smiled at Aunt Lois’s concern for her Pseudo-Uncle.  They were a great team and had an amazing love story out of a grand epic.  However, her smile faded when she saw James glaring at her through his mask, and she spotted her parents, lying on the ground many feet away, both unconscious.

“What were you thinking Cheryl!? You could’ve died!” James yelled, his anger easily read by his voice distorter. “Your parents were already on their way!”

“I was thinking of saving civilians and keeping my family out of harm’s way,” Cheryl retorted, just as angry, though apparently it hadn’t worked since her mom showed up anyways. Always the flashy dynamic duo of heroes, her parents.

“Enough,” Uncle Clark said silencing everyone. Cheryl was ashamed, not wanting to break Uncle Clark’s focus. “He just leapt off to somewhere else. Cheryl, go help your parents. I’ve got to make sure Doomsday stays dead,” Uncle Clark proclaimed. Cheryl froze, distraught.

“You can’t. You’ll-,” Cheryl protested, not wanting to break down in front of Jonathan.  She couldn’t let Uncle Clark face Doomsday.

“I have too, Cheryl,” Clark gently said, hugging his pseudo-niece and his Son. He hugged James and kissed Aunt Lois, and Cheryl ran to her parents sides.

“Now Doomsday gets his,” Uncle Clark proclaimed, and Cheryl would’ve smiled at his heroism if she wasn’t scared to death for him. She hadn’t lasted five minutes. Just how long could her Uncle last? She hoped it was longer than her.

****

Cheryl knew what was going to happen, she did. After she flew her parents to the nearest hospital she rejoined Aunt Lois, Jonathan and James atop a building, watching the fight from a safe distance.

 It was still painful to see the outcome. She watched as Doomsday and Uncle Clark fought for their lives. It wasn’t until he was distracted by a crying little girl that Uncle Clark was finally able to grab Doomsday, fly it into the air, and slam them both into the ground.

“Go Dad,” Jonathan whispered happily.

All happiness vanished when Cheryl and Jonathan got a look at Uncle Clark’s condition. His cape was on a piece of Rebar. His outfit was torn. He was bleeding profusely from many places. Aunt Lois ran to him as he collapsed.

“Doomsday-is he,” Uncle Clark said weakly, and Cheryl joined where Lois and Jonathan were kneeled at Clark’s side.

Yes. You did it Superman,” Aunt Lois replied tearfully, placing her hand atop of his. Her face was full of pain, and Cheryl would’ve done anything to wipe that pain off her Aunt’s face.

“That’s good,” Uncle Clark replied, his eyes on Lois’s, before they fluttered shut, and he exhaled for one last time.

“Dad,” Jonathan said tearfully as the full realization of what happened hit him, Lois throwing herself over her husband’s corpse. Cheryl just tugged her pseudo-cousin to her chest as he started crying, his arms coming around her body.

“It’s my fault,” Cheryl whispered softly through her tears.


	4. Funerals and Guilt Complexes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> comments and feedback appreaciated

Cheryl felt absolutely numb as she put on her clothes for the funeral. It was a small, private event in Smallville, his hometown. This funeral was for everyone who knew both Clark Kent and Superman. Together or separately, since there was no reason to hide his identity as Superman anymore.

 After her mom regained consciousness, Cheryl told her everything including her fight (if it could be called that) with Doomsday. Bruce Wayne (who most know as the dark knight, or more commonly, Batman) and Uncle Ollie had been able to get Uncle Clark buried in Smallville after a public funeral in Metropolis.  That still didn’t change the fact that Jonathan lost his Dad, Aunt Lois lost her husband, and The Kent’s lost their son.  She should be the one going six feet under, not Uncle Clark.

(Oh yay. Guilt Complex. Guess I’m a true hero now.)

“I know what you’re thinking. You’re blaming yourself for something beyond your control,” A voice from behind the door said. Cheryl wondered who it was. Maybe her dad, who still blamed himself for his actions as the prince of Daxam and leading the Legion.  Maybe Grandpa J’onn, who left the DEO to live amongst humans after his father’s death.  The voice was someone else entirely.

“Mr. Queen,” Cheryl said in a surprised tone after pivoting on her heel to face him, looking at the Earth-One one version of her surrogate Uncle.

(Yep. You all know the one. He’s the guy that basically inspired all the heroes on Earth-One. According to Lian, the great love story on Earth one is between him and Felicity Smoak.)

“Lian sent me to find you,” He explained as Cheryl looked slack-jawed.

**-Several Hours Earlier-**

“Uncle Ollie!” Lian squealed happily as she hugged him. She loved it whenever him or Uncle Tommy came up from Earth-One.  It was always a blast, and William always snuck her new tech and devices when she went back to Earth-38.

“Hey Lian,” Uncle Ollie smiled as he hugged back.  Cheryl always love teasing how Uncle Ollie was as broody as Bruce. When Uncle Jason met Uncle Ollie for the first time, he thought that Uncle Ollie wore the bat Cowl on earth-One. In moments like this, Uncle Ollie proved he was not as dark and edgy as the others claimed.

(Former Robin, was brutally murdered by a villain called the Joker, came back via Lazarus Pit, which is a life-giving and extending jacuzzi. Side effects may include insanity and a bloodlust to kill. He became a vigilante called Red Hood. He befriended my parents shortly after they moved to earth-38.)

“I heard what happened. This is horrible for Kara,” Uncle Ollie said, understanding and sympathy in his tone.  

“Actually, I need you to talk to Cheryl. She’s going through that ‘all my fault’ phase that you’ve been through before,” Lian informed him sadly.  She was aware of how badly her parents could be effected by the sins of their pasts.

- **Now** -

“What do you want? The kitchen’s down there,” Cheryl stammered out. She didn’t really spend a lot of time with this version of Oliver Queen.  This was mostly Lian’s territory.

“Lian told me how you’re holding up. She say’s I’m the most qualified person to talk to you,” Oliver answered. Cheryl sighed. Of course her friend would stage an intervention on her behalf. Cheryl was a lot like her mom in that sense. It didn’t change the fact that it was still her fault this damn funeral was happening. She fought Doomsday and still couldn’t beat him.

“Do you ever think to just do people a favor and stop being a hero because you can’t save damn near anyone?” Cheryl asked in a small tone. This had gone through her head many times since she told her mom what happened.

(I’m a teenager. One of the biggest emotions we deal with is uselessness. Hell, I have superpowers and I still can’t do shit.)

“Maybe. Sometimes I wonder if things would be different had I remained loyal to Laurel and never went on the Gambit,” Oliver admitted. “However, sometimes there’s a tiny glint of a good outcome in spite of the heaving layers of bad,” He followed up. Cheryl believed him on that point, as Aunt Laurel had a conversation with him about everything after Tommy returned. Just then Uncle Winn walked in.

“Um, don’t wanna interrupt, but everyone’s ready to leave,” He said quietly.

“Coming,” Cheryl murmured. She was moving towards the door, but when she reached the doorway she turned to look up at her Uncle’s strong features. “Thank you,” She said, wrapping her arms around his waist. He’d helped more than she’d like to admit.

****

The funeral was in stark contrast to the weather. Although it was bright and sunny, the entire mood was dark and stormy, as most funerals were. Nana Alura arrived with a priest to perform the kryptonian rituals of the dead, which was even worse for Cheryl. She hated watching Kryptonian rituals, they reminded her of how much better a hero she should be. Cheryl was entirely quiet throughout as she thought about what Oliver had told her.

(Uncle Ollie is the earth-38 version, Oliver is earth-One version, just fyi. And, if you promise to not tell anyone, I like the Earth-One version just a slight bit more. Probably cuz he just gave me advice that saved me from the raging teenage hormones.)

Her mom was the one who gave the eulogy.

“When my Aunt first showed me Kal, or Clark as a baby, I made a promise that I would never let harm come to him. Then Krypton exploded, and we were separated for years. When I landed on Earth, I didn’t need to worry about harm coming to him. He had already found his path as Superman. To Jonathan and Martha Kent, Clark was a loving son and the greatest blessing. To James Olsen, he was the best pal Superman could ask for. To Lois Lane, he was her forever love and Soulmate. To Jonathan Kent, he was a loving father, even when things were rocky,” Her mom started crying a little. It wouldn’t surprise Cheryl if she was thinking about their fight and how they both almost died. Then again, maybe her mom wished the opposite that she was dead and Uncle Clark was alive. The rest of the eulogy was a blur as Cheryl became lost in her own thoughts.

(Ok I know, not the most rational train of thought, but I’m a grieving teenager who also happens to be a superhero. It’s not a good combo.)

****

After the funeral, there was a reception in the Kent’s barn. Cheryl was mingling while everyone gave their consolations to the grieving family. At one-point Cheryl saw Damien hugging Jonathan, albeit rather awkwardly, while he was trying not to cry.  Cheryl smiled at their odd friendship. However, her gazed was soon turned to a woman in a hat and sunglasses. She was doing an ‘over here’ gesture in Cheryl’s direction. Cheryl slipped away from the crowd to see who it was.

“Aunt Lena, what are you doing hiding in the corner?” Cheryl asked.

“I’m a Luthor. I don’t think anybody would’ve accepted my presence, despite my status as your mom’s best friend and your godmother,” Aunt Lena said sadly. Cheryl understood completely. It seemed like sometimes that her and Eve Tressmacher, Aunt Lena’s assistant, were the only ones who could see past the last name of Luthor. Even her mom had doubted Aunt Lena in the past.

(Used to work at Catco as James’s assistant, then became Aunt Lena’s assistant after the discovery she graduated from MIT.)

“What is it?” Cheryl asked in a nervous tone.

“That tech used by edge at the fracking site, it was from Lex’s old projects. He was looking for tech from other planets to destroy Superman,” Aunt Lena said with a dark look on her face.  Cheryl shuddered at the thought of Lex trying to murder her Pseudo-uncle.  

“I guess he finally got his wish. Though he’s not the one who unleashed Doomsday. I am,” Cheryl said, knowing it was the truth.

“There is a lot of people to blame for Clark’s death, and absolutely none of them are you,” Aunt Lena stated firmly.

(Logically, I know she’s right. Emotionally, I’m buying into the lies sowed by my grief.)

****

After the funeral Cheryl went home by herself. She needed a moment alone to pack a bag. She was staying with Conner and Mia for a few days to help them in Star City.  It was best for everyone. She didn’t want her mom to have to live with the reason her cousin was dead.

“Cheryl, what’s with the bag?” Her dad asked. Cheryl just continued down the without so much as acknowledging his presence.  She kept walking until her mom stepped in front of the door.

“Cheryl are you okay?” Her mom asked.  Aw, how naïve her mom was. Was she really going to pretend this wasn’t her own daughter’s fault?

I wish I was six feet under and not Uncle Clark,” Cheryl turned and faced her mom. “And I bet you wish the same thing,” she said darkly. She then left out the door, not giving either of her parents a second thought.

(Had I stayed I would’ve found my dad comforting my sobbing mom over how that wasn’t true. It wasn’t. My mom was grateful I was alive, but again, I bought into the lies opened by grief. I guess one could call me the naive one.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oof. that's not good. no worries. next chapters more light-hearted


	5. Secrets, Crushes or otherwise

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First off, shoutout to my wonderful beta, AKBruce. You da man. second, posting my become inconsistent because of school.  
> Just fyi.

Chapter 5: Secrets, crushes or otherwise

Conner POV

Conner was doing homework when he heard a knock at the door. He glanced at the time. It was around ten o’clock at night.  His dad and mom were out patrolling the city, and his sister was sound asleep.   Grabbing a knife and flechette he crept toward the door in case it was a burglar or the tabloids. Conner cautiously opened the door to find Cheryl on the threshold with a bag slung over her shoulder.

(Yeah okay in hindsight, the tabloids or a burglar wouldn’t knock. Still, better safe than sorry. P.S., a flechette is basically a very deadly steel dart. Packs a punch, that tiny metal object. I would know, sometimes Conner’s aim is just a _little_ off.)

“Hey, come in,” Conner said as he beckoned his friend inside the house. He had been at the funeral earlier today and had seen how distraught Cheryl was. He just wanted to hug her and hold her hand, just to remind her she’d always have a friend who cared. That was a weird thought to have for someone who was just a friend, but he ignored it.

(Yeah okay. I know I’m in deep denial.  However, we’ve been friends for years and ya know, don’t wanna change dynamics.)

“What are you doing here? I thought you’d be at home,” Conner asked. Something terrible must’ve happened if Cheryl was at his house. Usually she was with Lois and Jonathan or Aunt Thea and Uncle Roy.

“I told my mom the truth,” Cheryl said blankly.  She had red puffy eyes from crying and her shoulders sagged from whatever weight she was carrying.  Conner wasn’t following, but he wanted to be supportive. Waving her inside, Conner sat on the couch in the living room, Cheryl sitting closer than she usually did. He didn’t take any notice, though.

(He never noticed any of my hints, the naïve teenage boy.)

“What truth?” Conner asked skeptically. He had said things that seemed like truth in the moment, later were completely off base. God, how did their parents put up with them?

“That she wishes I was dead instead of Uncle Clark,” Cheryl answered after a long period of silence, sniffling, her voice a shaky mess.

“What!?” Conner said, a little louder than intended. Sure enough, his half-pint sister walked down in her pajamas with a rat’s nest replacing her hair. Mia had been a surprise to everyone. However, it was her full name that surprised him. Mia Sara Queen. Conner didn’t realize his mom and Aunt Sara were so close. Must’ve been nice for Aunt Sara to find a good doppelganger of her deceased sister. That was his only guess.

“Conner, what’s going on, it’s a school night, you need to be-” Mia didn’t finish her sentence as she eyed Cheryl on the couch. Conner groaned and put his hands over his face. His sister had been teasing him for months about his crush on Cheryl. Despite this, she was still very reasonable, having helped keep secret the fact that he developed his mom’s canary cry. Besides, she had a secret crush of her own.

(That’s all I know. No details or gender, nothing.)

“Chery, what are you doing here?” Mia asked, concern etched on her face. Mia teased him about how he should be with Cheryl because then they’d be sisters. Sometimes Conner felt that Cheryl came over just to play with his little sister.

“Is something wrong?” Mia asked quietly. It was obvious something was wrong, but Conner knew Mia would ask that get a glimpse into what a person was feeling. Very good at reading people, his little sister was. Mature for her age, no question.

“It’s nothing,” Cheryl snapped at her.  Conner was taken aback. Cheryl never snapped at any kid, unless they were supervillains. Even then, it wasn’t really a snappy tone, more exasperated. Now he knew something was up. Conner went and grabbed a scanner to check if there was anything in her systems. Through the chaos, there was a high chance something had happened to Cheryl and no one had detected it.

Mia took a few steps forward, as if she was going to approach Cheryl, but Conner gave her a warning look. Mia nodded and went back upstairs, so Conner got up and followed her. It’d be easier to explain things when he _wasn’t_ in front of Cheryl.

****

“Mia?” Conner said as he crept into her room. He could hear soft crying from a small balled up figure on the bed. Sitting down on the pink blankets, Conner just gathered her to cry into his chest, not really knowing what to say to comfort her. Mia rarely ever cried, not even when she broke her arm.

“Chery’s never like this,” Mia said quietly through her tears.  “She’s always gentle with people, even at her lowest points,” Mia continued as she clung to her brother, her body trembling with sobs.

“I know,” Conner replied gently, stroking his sister’s hair and back.  “I have a scanner that will confirm If anything’s wrong,” He told her, finally soothing her to sleep. Conner laid her down and tucked her in before heading back downstairs, where he found Cheryl curled up, fast asleep. He scanned her entire system.  Everything came up negative.  Meaning her behaviour was just exhaustion and grief, and that the cause her outburst wasn’t anything special.

(Great, now she’s gonna have an even bigger guilt complex. Being a hormonal teen sucks. I’d know, I am one.)

Conner left her on the couch, bringing her bag to the guest room. As he was pulling stuff out, he found a briefcase like package.

(I know it’s bad to peek, but my curiosity won out. Also, I was being a gentleman, as she didn’t seem up to unloading.)

Conner opened the package to discover a glowing green rock. _Oh my god._  He was looking at Kryptonite. Actual Kryptonite. He remembered Cheryl telling him how she kept some just in case her mom went rogue. She also gave some to Bruce and his dad.  Conner understood the dangers of someone with Aunt Kara’s powers going rogue, but the fact that Cheryl had Kryptonite on her made Conner wonder if she really didn’t trust her own mother.  However, it was late. He’d ask her about it tomorrow.

****

The next day, Cheryl came back to the Queen household. Since they were studying for their first test, the two were quizzing each other via flashcards.  When they were done, they were looking over corrected assignments, though it was unnormally quiet, as Cheryl was normally making fun of him. Conner decided to break the ice.

Hey, Um… Cheryl,” Conner said nervously. God, this was going to be the toughest conversation ever.

(It’s not the most awkward. That would be the sex talk. Or talk of sex, together, sex talk.)

“Is something wrong, Conner?” Cheryl asked neutrally. This was going to descend into chaos and he really didn’t wanna piss off his crush, but what else was he supposed to do? Someone had to pull Cheryl out of her funk.

(Fine. I admit it. Happy now shippers?)

“I was-uh- unpacking your things and um-I came upon something odd,” Conner stammered. Oh boy. Cheryl’s face didn’t change.

“What you find?” Cheryl asked in the same neutral tone, her eyes still looking at the assignment. She sounded so deadpan, emotionless. Conner was worried, more so than before.

“Kryptonite. Why exactly do you have it?” Conner said forcefully, wanting to know the truth. If she wasn’t willing to generate emotions, he’d have to generate them for her. He was good at that, being a teenage boy.

“It’s in case my mom and I ever go rogue, okay!?” Cheryl yelled. Conner was horrified by her statement. Did Cheryl really truly believe that she could ever be a threat?

“Listen to me Cheryl Matthews, you aren’t a threat. You’re the girl I love. You’ll never go rogue,” Conner said patiently, then realizing that he just confessed his feelings for her. How was she gonna react? His mom was shocked when she learned the truth about his dad’s feelings for her. “You know what? Forget the 2nd part,” Conner deflected, feeling his cheeks reddening.

“You love me? Well that’s a good thing, because I love you too. I just didn’t wanna change dynamics,” Cheryl laugh screamed, her voice finally showing some emotion besides anger.

“Yes, Yes, Yes! I knew it!” Mia exclaimed happily. Conner could see her bounding in. Of course she’d been eavesdropping, the little twat.

“I was too in the moment to realize they were coming,” Cheryl said in a flustered tone. Conner smirked at her babbling. Now that they both knew the truth, he would always make sure she never needed to use the Kryptonite.

****

Cheryl’s POV

Cheryl felt lighter and happier after Conner’s love confession. Finally, no more pining. As she was going back to the guest room, she saw that Aunt Dinah’s office was open.

(Yeah curiosity won out. Kids, don’t snoop.)

Cheryl went inside and saw that one of the drawers in the filing cabinet underneath her desk was open. _Odd,_ Cheryl thought as she went to close it. However, as she did, she saw a box marked “Family.” She looked in the box and gasped.

“What are you doing!?” Cheryl turned and saw Aunt Dinah looking furious. Ok not quite furious. More like concerned and afraid. She grabbed the box out of Cheryl’s hand, but not before a picture fell out. Cheryl grabbed the picture and was shocked to see Aunt Sara and Quentin Lance in the photo as well.

“Mind explaining this?” Cheryl demanded as she gave the photo to Aunt Dinah, or rather, Aunt Laurel.  She looked like she was going to cry. Cheryl wasn’t a huge mystery solver, but this situation was pretty much written out right in front of her.

“You caught me,” Dinah whispered. “I’m Dinah Laurel Lance of Earth-1,” She admitted while crying. “Please don’t tell Conner and Mia. They can’t know,” she said in a voice so low that if Cheryl didn’t have superhearing, she would’ve missed it. Cheryl tried to stifle her gasp. Conner _would not_ be happy about this.

“No worries. However, you might wanna tell them before someone else does, just some advice,” Cheryl informed her Aunt before leaving the office and closing the door behind her, her breathing becoming harsher.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I went there. Please keep in mind that this is on another earth, so all your ships are intact. I just wanted to give laurel the ending she deserved.


	6. Peer mentor day is the worst

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry this took so long. just started college. chapter is unbeta'd so forgive mistakes. hopefully i'll have a chapter once a month, but no promises

Cheryl groaned as she got off the bus.  Today was peer mentor day. What a big whoppity-do. Cheryl always got the worst people. Her freshman year she had a girl who despised heroes and her father had tried to get all the heroes arrested. It had been fun watching Raquel destroying her arguments of why heroes where a bad thing and they had quickly become friends after that moment. Guess being a lawyer’s ward and partner has it’s perks.

(Something I forgot to mention. Augustus Freeman IV, also known as Arnus, is a hero known as Icon. Sorry readers.)

“Hey C, how’s it going?”  Cheryl heard Raquel say as she ran over to her friend. Raquel was one of the toughest people Cheryl ever met. Despite coming from a poor, crime-ridden neighborhood, (Her words, not mine) and being a single teen mom, she was determined to make the most out of life. 

“Well, I finally confessed how I felt to Conner. Turns out he reciprocates,” Cheryl said in a somewhat happy tone.  

“Shouldn’t that be a good thing? I mean you’ve had a crush on him since before you were friends with Tim & I,” Raquel said, noticing her friend’s trepidation.

“We both agreed that until we figure what’s the connection between Lex Luthor and the crash site, no dating can happen cuz it would be a distraction,” Cheryl answered like it was the most obvious answer in the world. Cheryl knew from both fiction and real life that relationships could disrupt friend groups. Uncle Winn and James nearly lost their friendship from both liking their mom, and her mom nearly lost her friendship with Uncle Winn after he revealed his crush on her.

(Omg. My mom’s love life prior to my dad was a mess. Makes me glad I’m not on a Cw drama.)

“Alright, Let’s look at the list,” Raquel said, not pushing her friend. Tim, Lian and Conner were already at the board for who the Juniors would be peer mentoring for the school year. They agreed to stick together with their chosen freshman then would go to Raquel’s place. Although they said it was for studying, it was also to see baby Amistad.

“Alright let’s take a look,” Cheryl said as her and Raquel approached the board. It read out

Cheryl Mattews-Damian Wayne

Raquel Ervin-Cassandra Sandsmark

Conner Queen-Freddy Freeman

Lian harper-Garfield Logan

Tim Drake- Karen Beecher-Duncan

“Um, Tim,” Cheryl asked as the others read off their names, “could you tell me how to handle Damian? Cuz he’s my freshman,” Cheryl said as her friend looked at the bulletin and the rest of the names. Seriously, this day was gonna blow. On top of all that, Conner was a shirt that made his muscular arms really show through; Rao how hot would he be shirtless…

(Hey, I’m a teenage girl. You can’t expect my thoughts to be too Chaste.)

“Look just try not to overcrowd him, don’t try and maintain a façade. Be direct and you’ll both be satisfied with the arrangement,” Tim said as the bell rang, snapping Cheryl out of her stupor. Realizing she hadn’t been paying enough attention, Tim repeated the advice. Thanks to superhearing, Cheryl got the message. All the Juniors where called into the assembly with the new freshman. As the principal paired up the students, Cheryl looked around and saw Damian. She knew he was one of Jonathan’s best friends, but she didn’t have a personal connection to the latest Robin. At last her and Damian’s names were called and they went to their assigned stations.

* * *

 

“Look, Damian, I know you don’t wanna be here, the feeling’s mutual, but we gotta grit our teeth and just act semi-interested in all of this? I will only do the bare minimum of interaction with you if you follow along and act normal in the sense you won’t hurt anybody who annoys you. Deal?” Cheryl laid out as she held out her hand the angry looking 13-year-old. He was most definitely Bruce’s son with his black hair and scowling features.

“Deal,” Damian said as they shook hands. Cheryl was grateful for that. Turning to Tim, she saw him give them a thumbs up while he was with his freshman, an African-American girl named Karen-Beecher-Duncan. The first stop was the library. Cheryl gave Damian the bare minimum on how to checkout books and library policy, them left him to do his thing. After he was done, the two waited as far apart as possible for the station to be over.

(like I said, mutual feeling of dislike for this.  Why does this exist.?! It’s only on earth, my parents didn’t have this.)

After a couple more stations, it was lunchtime. Since Lian, Raquel and Tim were at the 2nd lunch, her and Damian were gonna have to grit their teeth and sit by other freshman and peer mentors. Before they got to the table, Cheryl gave Damian a cue card for proper small-talk questions.

“what the-” Damian said incredulously.

“Tim and Katherine’s idea, not mine,” Cheryl told him quickly before sitting down.

“would you have given men this,” Damian asked quietly. Cheryl could actually see some haunted look in the freshman’s eyes. She knew Damian hadn’t really had a childhood and was closest to Jason, but it still must’ve been painful on his Psyche. 

 “No, I would’ve told you to keep up a quiet, lone wolf vibe until you find someone who doesn’t mind,” Cheryl informed him honestly. Damian actually cracked a smile at that. The smile vanished when they were forced to sit with two bratty pairs who talked make-up and celebrity gossip. Rao she couldn’t wait for this day to be over.

* * *

 

Just as they were finishing up the last station, Cheryl and Damian saw the same two pairs at lunch being harassed by a couple of the douchey jocks.

“Hey, back of,” Cheryl said as they stared at her. Cheryl looked over at the four girls, silently urging them to leave, which they did, scampering down the hallway. The jocks walked over to Cheryl, but she didn’t flinch. This was something she dealt with every day.

“Well lookey here. Cheryl Matthews. Where’s your little posse?” one of them asked while the other laughed.  Out of the corner of her eye, Cheryl saw Damian in standby mode, waiting for the moment to attack.

“Oh I don’t need my friends. What’s the harassment of those girls? So 2016 of you,” Cheryl snapped back. As one of the boys leered at her, Damian punched him in the side, sending mr d-hole to the ground. His friend tried to help him, but Damian kicked his chest sending him on the ground.

* * *

 

“Well you didn’t get detention on your first day. That’s good,” Cheryl said as they walked out of the school. The jocks confessed to harassing the girls and the girls vouched for Damian saying he kept the jocks from hurting them.

“Yeah, hey thanks for being my peer mentor,” Damian said smiling.

“No problem. From now on, we won’t have this friendly-ish interaction and hopefully you’ll find friends,” Cheryl told Damian.

(I guess peer mentor day wasn’t so terrible after all.)

 As he and Tim got into the car, Cheryl flew back towards the Queen home. When she got there however, there was only Aunt Laurel sitting down looking at a photo album.

“Are you gonna tell me how you got here?” Cheryl asked inquisitively to her idol and surrogate Aunt.

“Yes,” Aunt Laurel replied, putting the photo album down.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so next time, flashback chapter. what happens there will tie in to laurel's situation.


	7. The Canary's Migration

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shoutout to Agentmarymargretskitz for allowing me to use her character names.

Laurel’s POV

       “So, if I remember correctly, you were stabbed by Damian Darhk, and died later that night in the hospital, around 11:59pm, Right?” Cheryl said, trying to remember what she learned about the vigilantes on Earth-1 while studying super-related topics instead of doing schoolwork like she was supposed to. Hence why earlier in the day while the rest of the group studied schoolwork, Cheryl decided to play with Baby Amistad. The group had set apart after the homework time, Tim and Lian going to see a movie and Conner going to his shift at Aunt Thea’s club. The reasoning for how Cheryl could have this one-on-one conversation with Laurel.

        (P.S, I don’t suggest studying the super-related topics of Earth-1. With all the rules of time travel and reality being broken on that earth, I’m surprised it hasn’t been torn apart or been merged with another earth.)

         “Yes, that’s correct,” Laurel informed the Daxitonian. Laurel still remembered the feeling of Darhk plunging the arrow into her stomach as he whispered something about being a man of his word.  “After I was stabbed and wheeled into the hospital, a man wearing a leather jacket sedated me. When I came to, I was on a futuristic looking ship. As it turns out, the man was Leonard Snart, aka Captain Cold. He’d been dating Sara for a few months after he himself returned from the dead. Snart used a life-model decoy to expire the same time I did while I was on the ship healing. However, I couldn’t stay on Earth-1 because of potential damage to the timeline.  Sara dropped me off on Earth-38, but she told everyone what happened to me to alleviate the others guilt.  Your family helped me settle down in Star City to have a new life. A few months in, I got a call that set events in motion to where I am now,” Laurel said, grateful that Conner wasn’t here, and that Mia was with Ollie for a daddy-daughter dance. She had that transcendental feeling, as if she was living that past experience at this very moment.

* * *

 

_Laurel was working at her desk, looking over a custody battle for a family with three children. It was almost time for dinner, and she was wondering what restaurant she should try out that night.  Despite having lived in Star City for a few months, Laurel was still adjusting to the changes in everyday life. Before she left, there was a huge party for her, even getting to meet her niece, Sara and Snart’s llittle baby girl, Monica. Now Laurel was trying to figure out what she was gonna do with her second chance. She hadn’t made any friends yet, and Kara and the others were busy with a threat. Just as she was gonna look at another case, a red-haired woman entered the building through the wheelchair accessibility ramp. She was accompanied by none other than-_

_“You!!” Laurel yelled, angry that the Huntress was out and about.  As she lept out of her chair to attack the woman that caused so much destruction, she felt something prick her neck, then everything went dark._

_Laurel awoke on a sofa in a room like that of the arrowcave, with less green and a couple of people at computers. The red-haired woman was at one, and a portly man with dark hair and glasses was at another._

_“Oh good, you’re awake,” came a voice very similar to her own. As Laurel forced her eyes open, she saw that the speaker looked just like her._

* * *

 

       “So, from what I’m catchin’, you were tranquilized, brought to the Birds of Prey (BoP) headquarters, and met your doppelganger?” Cheryl recapped. She wasn’t surprised that Laurel tried to attack Helena, aka The Huntress, considering the bad blood due to squabbles and kidnappings between the two women on Earth-1. 

      “Yes, that’s correct,” Laurel said. She hadn’t let the memories resurface in a while and was beginning to feel pain from the sudden opening of an old scab. “I learned that they were a group called the Birds of Prey. As it turns out, your aunt Alex is an ally of theirs and suggested I’d be perfect for the group. Another thing I learned was that I now had a canary cry. I met the heroes and their families. Turns out, this earth’s Laurel and Oliver stayed together.  I filled in for her whenever there a fight she couldn’t go to. This happened sporadically, until about a year after my recruitment.

_Laurel was running on a treadmill in the NEST, as coined by Felicity when she came by, right next to William Clayton, Oliver and a hook up’s son and Felicity and Oliver’s daughter, Olivia.  As she finished off her rep, her doppelganger came in with a frightened look. Laurel walked over to the woman with a towel around her neck._

_“Hey Dinah, is something wrong?” Laurel called out, seeing her doppelganger’s worried look. To differentiate between the two, Dinah was going by her first name. Dinah shimmied up close to Laurel, Laurel surprised by the sudden closeness that the two rarely shared._

_“Nobody knows this, but I’m pregnant,” Dinah whispered in a worried tone, Laurel barely catching the words. Laurel took a step back, mostly from shock. She knew that this version of them always tried to be careful, but she never imagined there were slip-ups. Dinah being from Earth-38, she didn’t suffer like Laurel, and had Oliver all to herself, so Laurel could somewhat see how the mistake could be made._

_“I came to ask you to take my place in the field until the Baby is born,” Dinah continued. “I know it’s a lot to ask but if you could consider it- “_

_“Done,” Laurel said quickly. She was happy to be back in the game for longer than just one fight. Besides, if she could see some form of herself, even if it wasn’t ever herself, having a child happily with Oliver Queen, she would do what it took to see it through._

* * *

 

        “So, for the duration of her pregnancy and a couple months afterwards, I was back in the Black Canary leathers,” Laurel said, “It was fun, I liked being in the fight,” she continued as Cheryl listened.

        However, the final question was the most painful, and Laurel could see it about to sprout out of the young hero’s lips. “So how com you’re here and she’s not?”

        “There was a satellite being built that could connect to a super-weapon that would wipe out cities. All the BoP were needed. It was one of our toughest battles and not all of us returned,” Laurel said, looking down to wipe away tears, her voice hiccupy and soft, Cheryl’s eyes sharp.

_Laurel and the others were in for a massive fight. Apparently, a group called the Ninth Circle was interested in the Satellite for their own nefarious means. Laurel looked at her teammates, Selina Kyle aka Catwoman, and Helena Bertinelli Sage, aka Huntress, who was also the wife of Vic Sage, aka The Question. Laurel teased her about them being a cute couple. She’d also teased Selina about her relationship with Bruce Wayne._

_“Okay ladies, landing site,” Barbra Gordon, aka the former Batgirl, now Oracle, said over the comms. All of them, Including Dinah, dropped down over the landing site safely.   Although the others had been reluctant to have Dinah back so soon after Conner was born, this was an emergency and they needed every body that could fight on the field.  As the fight went on, charges were place around the warehouse to destroy the satellite. As all the thugs were defeated, a sniper fired a shot at Dinah, hitting her. Laurel looked as she saw her Doppelganger fall to the ground in pain._

_Laurel let out a cry to clear the sniper away as she pulled Dinah to the side, rapidly checking for a pulse. She was about to tell the others her doppleganger was down when Dinah shushed her. “Someone has to stay behind and detonate the charges, and I don’t think I’m gonna make it anyways,” Dinah said fiercely, her teeth grit, blood dried along her chin. Laurel opened her mouth, but Dinah wasn’t finished. “Swear to me, right now, that you will look out for Conner and Oliver for me, please,” Dinah begged, holding back tears._

_“I swear,” Laurel whispered, any thought of repercussions drained out by adrenaline. “I swear, I swear, l’ll look out for Conner and Oliver,” Laurel repeated, tears falling from her eyes onto Dinah’s rapidly dying form. Laurel gave her one last squeeze, kissing her cheek. Then, she ran. She bolted, out of range, the image of numb fingers gripping a detonator and the thought of a measly promise circling in her broken mind._

     Laurel went silent, wiping tears away from her eyes over the memories. “the mission was successful, but we were without our leader. After learning of Dinah’s fate, everyone agreed that I should take over as the head honcho. As for Oliver, he found out what happened after he found me feeding baby Conner. He was heartbroken, and the most reluctant to let me take Dinah’s place. For 6 years were able to function as roommates and put on a show for everyone. However, feelings and tensions started to develop for each other, due to the known-to-common circumstances.  It culminated at a gala with a slow dance and a kiss. I felt confused and frightened by the whole ordeal and fled for the hotel room,” Laurel said, pausing to see if Cheryl had any questions.

* * *

 

     (Well, I’m a teenager, of course I have questions.)

     “So, I’m assuming you guys realized you were both in love?” Cheryl asked curiously, imagining her Aunt and Uncle swaying to some random slow song, steadily feeling their hearts cement as one.

      “It was that night,” Laurel said dreamily, her eyes still wet from tears. She laughed abruptly, wiping one eye with the back of her hand. “I found the one damn loophole to my promise and ended up fucking my son up in the process.”

_She had been reluctant to go, although she’d posed as Dinah at gala’s so many times she couldn’t remember if her name was Laurel or Dinah at moments. Oliver had prompted her to go, though, saying he had dropped Conner off to play with his friend Cheryl at Kara’s house. Laurel loved Cheryl, such spunk and attitude for such a young girl._

_The moment they arrived, Laurel found Oliver’s aura to be somewhat off. She had his aura memorized, since his face was too difficult to read. They had made small talk before the dancing begun, Oliver introducing Laurel to business associates and Laurel greeting the faces she had linked names to, not actually giving a damn about most of them._

_When the dancing begun, Oliver took Laurel out for the first slow song. They’d always dance to at least one slow song-this was common- but they’d never been the first to dance. Oliver swept Laurel around like the other couples were doing, and Laurel found herself getting wrapped up in Oliver’s scent quickly. She loved him, and she knew she did. It was hard, regulating the feelings when she knew all he had done to keep them afloat._

_She knew she shouldn’t think like that, her promise always lodged in the section of her heart where love should have been. But Oliver was so charming, and so kind and accepting, nothing like the Oliver that she’d known to break her heart repeatedly on Earth-1._

_Oliver swept her into a corner, Laurel slightly confused on why they were moving to a less visible area, assuming something had come up with the NEST and he was trying to make their exit look like some quiet time. They reached an exit to the ballroom and Oliver pulled her out quickly. Laurel began to get mission ready, surprised when she found Oliver shove her through the door of heaven knows what room. She shifted her body to question but instead was met with Oliver soft and strong lips, his mouth moving quick, Laurel’s registration level slowing down, her heart racing, her bones rattling. She felt herself lift her arms up into Oliver’s hair, letting him part her lips and tasting his tongue-_

* * *

 

    “STOP!” Cheryl yelled, covering her ears with her hands, a goofy look of fake disgust on her face. “I think I get the picture!” Cheryl added, her cheeks red. Laurel laughed softly. She was a romantic, so she never missed the heat that always built up around Cheryl when Conner was around.

     “That was the night we stopped being roommates and officially became a couple,” Laurel said as her laughter died down over the teen’s faux disgust.  “Mia’s Conception was 5 months later, in case you were wondering,” Laurel said, knowing it would weird Cheryl out more.  Sure enough, the teen grimaced and rubbed her eyes to get the image out of her brain.  “I do plan on tell him everything,” Laurel said quietly, feeling guilty for never telling Conner.

   “No need,” an angry teen aged voice came from behind the wall as Laurel saw Conner near the fridge.

    “Conner,” Laurel tried to defuse the situation with her son, but she knew it was too late, and he wasn’t going to forgive her anytime soon. Just then, Oliver and Mia came into the house.

      “What’s going on?” Mia asked as Laurel saw she was scared by how angry her brother looked.

       “Did you ever actually care for me, or was I just some obligation to you?” Conner growled, tears prickling down his cheeks.

         “That was never the case,” Oliver said as he approached Conner, but Conner pushed his dad away.

          “As for you, I bet it took you 6 months to grieve for your wife’s death and then you started fucking this faker,” Conner yelled.

          “STOP,” Mia screamed, hating to see her brother so angry.

           “I’m leaving, don’t know when I’ll be back, don’t stop me,” Conner said as he walked away.

           Mia started crying as Laurel and Oliver comforted their daughter, regretting never telling their son the truth.

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and feedback appreciated. Like getting kudos, it wanna here from readers.


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